Along the way a boarding team of Princeton sailors helped five fishermen from Yemen stranded at sea with no food or water.

Pierside on Tuesday, families were happy to have their sailors home safe.

Next up, the destroyers Stockdale and William P. Lawrence should return home soon. These San Diego ships were also involved in the Syria standoff, and their deployments stretched to a marathon nine months.

The Nimitz is still at work, along with two San Diego helicopter squadrons and a C-2 Greyhound airplane detachment serving aboard the carrier.

Last week, the Nimitz was reported to be extending an already-long deployment by moving into the Mediterranean Sea for international exercises.